Artist Eleanor Merritt has an evolved career

"Reflections of Goddesses," a retrospective exploring more than 50 years of painting by Eleanor Merritt, caps a season of celebrating women artists at the Houston Museum of African American Culture.

Merritt, who lives in Florida, is a longtime advocate for African-American and women artists. She visited recently for the opening of the exhibit, which features works from 1957 to 2012. Merritt's early paintings include serene, monochromatic oils. They're quite a contrast to her busy, many-layered later works.

Some artists hang onto every canvas they've ever painted. Not Merritt. Proof of a spirit always moving forward, she often cuts up old paintings to incorporate in current works.

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